


It's Always Summer in the Lunar Capital

by rlyehtaxidermist



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: (it's just kaguya she'll be fine), Gen, Implied/Referenced Major Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 19:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11364315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rlyehtaxidermist/pseuds/rlyehtaxidermist
Summary: Sagume pays Eirin two visits, centuries apart. It's a good thing that they both have very long memories.





	It's Always Summer in the Lunar Capital

It was always summer in the Lunar Capital.

Well, officially, it was _never_ summer; nor was it ever spring, autumn, or winter. The climate of the Lunar Capital was as staunch and unchanging as its residents. But to walk outside, on the umpteenth bright, sunny day or cool, cloudless night; it was summer that was the foundation of it all. 

While their world was under construction, there had been some debate as to whether to emulate the seasonal cycle of Earth. While autumn and winter had quickly been discarded as obvious symbols of decay, some had argued to keep a two-season cycle of alternating spring and summer. In the end, spring was dismissed as well: spring may be the season of new life, but with new life came replacement of the old, a thought none on the Moon were willing to hold for long.

Some alterations were made, of course: there was no need to settle for the limitations of the Earth’s seasons. Cherry blossoms hung above beds of chrysanthemums, while trees of ripe peaches and persimmons stood together in rows. There was no need to wait for flowers to bloom or fruit to ripen, and no fear that they would wilt or sour; nature, like everything else on the Moon, existed only to serve its citizens.

The roads of the Moon radiated from and around the palace of Lord Tsukuyomi, built at the foundation of the Lunar Capital at the highest point on the lunar surface; the rest of the city formed in rings along the shallow slope. It was said that from any point in the city, one could turn their head to see the palace at its heart; and from the height of the palace, one could turn to see any point in the city.

Kishin Sagume knew such sayings were nonsense. She knew every twisted little path which slunk through the shadows of the Lunar Capital’s tallest buildings, far from the prying eyes of the court. Walking proudly through the main streets took far longer than ducking through the right servant’s passages, even the latter was “beneath the dignity” of the usual pompous courtier. Even the palace of Tsukuyomi had its dark corridors and narrow, winding passages, if one knew where to look.

Times like these, she couldn’t be more glad for them.

It was always summer in the Lunar Capital; but, for the first time in its history, a yellow leaf was found on one of the maple trees in the palace. Tensions were already high in court, thanks to the recent crimes and exile of Princess Kaguya; the more fickle of Lord Tsukuyomi’s courtiers had already begun proclaiming it a sign of the end.

Lady Yagokoro’s absence at court did little to reassure them; while her role in the incident had thankfully been concealed, between Sagume’s agents and Lady Yagokoro’s own, it left questions. Beyond fearful whispering, the greatest question on the court’s mind was what could be occupying Lord Tsukuyomi’s first minister in such a time of crisis. Sagume had done her best to encourage the most fanciful stories; even issuing official denials, when necessary. Anything to occupy the court, and keep their prying eyes and loose tongues from the truth.

Confining Lady Yagokoro to quarters had been Lord Tsukuyomi’s decision; privately, Sagume did not consider it a particularly informed one. She did not know exactly how privy the ruler of the Lunar Capital was to the details of its operation, but Lady Yagokoro had made herself its lynchpin. 

Subverting her office’s influence had taken three precious days, and countless more favours.

Sagume stepped out of the servant’s passages, deliberately ignoring the curious eyes of the rabbits beyond them, and walked up to the door to Lady Yagokoro’s rooms. Two of the rabbits standing guard stepped aside wordlessly as she approached, while the third scrambled to open the door for her.

The main entrance lounge, usually teeming with ministers and attendants, was eerily silent. Seats and cushions were brushed aside to the walls, leaving the room feeling hollow; most of the rooms were closed off, but the door to the balcony was half-open. Sagume could see wisps of silver-white hair flicker in and out of view on a soft breeze. She walked through the empty room and out onto the balcony.

Lady Yagokoro was overlooking her courtyard garden, a solemn, serene look on her face. Sagume walked up next to her, but said nothing, simply joining her in staring out over the edge. Silence reigned for a long moment, save for the creaking of the floor and the soft rustling of the wind through the trees below.

“You’ve done well,” Lady Yagokoro said, “almost exceeding expectations.”

Sagume looked at her out of the corner of her eye, slightly tilting her head. _So it was a test._ She turned her head just enough towards Lady Yagokoro to give her a scrutinous look.

A ghost of a smile flickered across Lady Yagokoro’s face. “It is not the first time.” She sighed. “I fear it may soon be the last.”

Sagume blinked, trying not to show her surprise on her face. Lady Yagokoro turned back to the garden, and Sagume followed her eyes. They settled on the large udonge tree in the heart of the garden, its barren, black branches a stark contrast to the lush greenery in its roots. “Do you know why I followed Lord Tsukuyomi to the moon, Kishin?”

Sagume did not.

“We shared a certain vision. A dream of a perfect world; a dream we would do anything to build.” She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “The nations of the Earth will fight over every scrap of filth, and they will only stop when there is nothing left to fight over. Death and ruin were all we could find on Earth, so we would find a new world. We would make a better world, and leave the old to rot.”

She cast an arm out over the garden. “All the beauty of nature, and none of its cruelty. Wisdom and peace could finally escape from savagery and decay.” She took a long, almost unsteady breath. “But now, I no longer know what I dream of.”

Her tone was enough to send a chill down Sagume’s spine. “Surely-” she blurted out, before forcing her mouth shut with her palm. This was not the time to speak loosely. “You fear for the Capital?”

Lady Yagokoro shook her head. “I do not fear. I would welcome fear; fear is born of uncertainty and ignorance.” She waved to the world around them again. “I _know_ that the Lunar Capital will fall.”

The silence was suffocating.

Sagume took a deep breath. “You are Yagokoro-Omoikane-no-Mikoto; you are wisdom and knowledge, and what you say shall surely come to pass. No force in heaven or earth could overturn your judgement. If you see it thus, we are condemned to ruin.” She smiled, and reached up, placing her right hand on Lady Yagokoro’s shoulder. “I so put it into words.”

The ghost of a smile flickered on Lady Yagokoro’s face. “No force on heaven or earth, indeed.” She reached her left arm back behind Sagume, pulling her up closer to her. They stood there, watching the empty courtyard in silence. “Thank you, Kishin.” She closed her eyes, and leaned forward to the railing. “Now, we still have much to do.”

* * *

_Many, many years later..._

It was winter in Gensokyo, and the Bamboo Forest of the Lost was no exception.

Heavy, wet snow clung to the leaves and grooves of each bamboo stalk, weighing the tips down to make the stalks into low-hanging arches. A biting, cold wind howled through the forest, funnelled into a gale by the tunnels of bamboo. What snow had reached the ground was almost completely undisturbed, save for the countless tiny paths left by the forest’s rabbits, and the occasional trail of bootprints.

Kishin Sagume missed the structure, and warmth, of the Lunar Capital more with every minute she spent wandering this earthly maze. The winding trails of the Bamboo Forest surrounded Eientei, but there was no pattern or reason to them, and the swaying of the stalks often blocked old trails and opened new ones.

Some of the trails had long gaps between each step, with the snow tossed every which way around each mark; most of these stopped suddenly at the edge a thicket, while the rare remainder had just returned to the edge of the forest. It was not hard to conclude what they were; the slower, more deliberate tracks, left by bare feet, that traced the edges of the frantic trails were equally simple to read. Sagume shook her head. _Such is the Earth; as wretched a place as it ever was._

Some were tightly packed, with some of the bootprints pointed slightly to the side, and others facing backwards. Stalks along each route had been marked by a sharp tool; a knife or a sword, most likely. Sometimes, the number of feet dwindled as she traced the path, until the footfalls split, and became the first kind; sometimes, the route reached the edge of the forest.

The third kind of bootprints were unusual in that they were left in what was most certainly _ice_ , rather than snow. The bamboo stalks around them stood slightly taller, and no snow clung to their sides; the snow around them was frozen together, but sat closer to the ground. Sometimes, these tracks accompanied another set or two, and sometimes they moved alone. In either case, they never walked at anything but a measured, almost leisurely pace. More curious still, the bare tracks left a wide berth around anywhere they moved.

Following these tracks had led her first to a house, the home of an unseasonably-dressed young woman who had offered to lead her through the forest, to “the only place she could be going in there”. The girl seemed amicable, but most of their trek was in silence, save for her directions.

Sagume could appreciate that.

When they reached the gates of Eientei, her guide waved through the gate, then ran on ahead of her, claiming she had to “pay her respects to the princess”. From her tone of voice, Sagume would guess that ‘her respects’ were hardly respectful. She steeled herself and approached the door; it was unusual to receive an invitation from Lady Yago- No, it was Eirin now. Many things had changed since she chose exile, but that was one of the strangest.

She could hear the wind howling overhead, but in the clearing of the House of Eternity, the air was still. She walked up the smooth, cleared path towards the entrance, and slid open the door; no sooner was it open than she was assailed by a bevy of sounds and smells, as Eientei’s rabbits scrambled through the halls, carrying all manner of dishes and tools. One of them, a small, dark-haired girl, gave Sagume a disturbingly knowing look as she brushed any stray flecks of snow from her clothes.

The rabbits guided her through a small maze of hallways, far too large to be contained in the simple building she saw from the outside. Finally, they came to a large, open room, a warm glow shining from its half-open door. The rabbits waved towards the door and disappeared off back into Eientei’s halls. Sagume took a deep breath and walked across the threshold.

The room was filled to the brim with various plates and serving tables, forming rings around a trio of kotatsu. Earth rabbits scurried in and out through tiny doors, hauling crates of mochi and platters of dried fruit and fresh-cooked meat. At one side of the room, Eirin’s rabbit apprentice lay slumped against the wall, snoring softly; another moon rabbit, with shorter, lighter hair, was leaning against her, also sleeping. A pile of dozing earth rabbits had built up around them, resembling a lumpy blanket.

The kotatsu were mostly vacant, save for one to her near left, occupied by two familiar young women; one, seating on the far side and facing the door, was most of the way through 

“Oh, Lady Sagu!” Watatsuki no Toyohime waved to her from the far side of the kotatsu.

“Wh-” From the near side, Watatsuki no Yorihime leapt to her feet, knocking the bowl of tangerines first into the air, then into her sister’s waiting hands. Yorihime turned to face Sagume, her arms snapped tight to her sides, then bowed deeply. “Lady Kishin, I apologise for my sister’s-” She paused, then looked up. “Lady Kishin. Is here.” She bowed even deeper. “I assure you we are not planning any manner of sedition or defection, and are simply keeping watch on the fugi-”

Sagume sighed. Yorihime’s diligence did her well in her role, but she could prove difficult to communicate with; especially in a casual time. She shrugged, resigning herself to her first idea, and reached out to ruffle Yorihime’s hair. Behind her, Toyohime tossed a tangerine towards Sagume, laughing into her sleeve. While Yorihime froze in surprise, Sagume snapped her hand up to snatch the tangerine from the air. Yorihime stood up straight and settled back down on the kotatsu.

“Eirin is not here?”

Toyohime gave her a sly look when she mentioned Eirin’s name, while Yorihime, still slightly flushed, pointed at a door on the left side of the room. Sagume nodded, and began peeling the skin from her tangerine as she carefully strode through the cluttered floor.

Eirin was standing by the window, a plate of mochi balanced on one hand. Eirin offered her the plate; Sagume picked one off the top and popped it into her mouth. “You came; I was hoping you would.”

Sagume nodded. The mochi was really quite good; almost softer than the Moon’s.

Outside the window, an even layer of snow lay across Eientei’s central courtyard; a light breeze carried some snow into the air, dancing through the field. Shrubs lining the sides quivered slightly in the breeze, frozen green leaves visible beneath the powder. The scene felt almost nostalgic.

“What do you think?” Eirin said, looking at Sagume through the corners of her eyes. “If this is ruin, it isn’t so bad.”

“You still have no faith in the Capital.”

Eirin nodded, solemnly. “Less, even, than when we last met like this.” She sighed. “Different people see the Capital as different things. To me, it was a dream; to Tsukuyomi, his kingdom. To most of the court, a safe haven.” She turned to look at Sagume, a knowing look on her face. “I suspect that you see it as a puzzle to be solved; pieces to arrange to keep everything in order.” Sagume held a hand to her chin, but slowly nodded. Succinct, but apt enough.

“But to the Princess, it was a prison; one she came to me to escape. What world were we building, that such a bright child would embrace a world of death if it meant she could leave it?” She shook her head. “There is nothing left for me in the dream of the Lunar Capital.” She set the plate down, and a pair of rabbits scurried to refill it. “Life on Earth is so very different. I can’t say I mind it.”

The snow in the courtyard flickered with an amber light, and a streak of flames crashed down into the snow. Mud and steam burst into the air, and half-melted snow splattered against the windows, sliding down and leaving wavy smears of ice along the window. Through the distorted glass, Sagume could see a pink-robed figure, her dark hair still smouldering, pull herself out of the snow. While sound did not seem to carry through the glass, she was clearly laughing. A rainbow curtain of danmaku blinked into existence around her and she rose into the air, followed shortly by what looked to be her leg. She soared back towards and over the window, bullets swirling around her.

Eirin sighed. “Although sometimes, perhaps _too_ exciting.” She tapped the glass with her finger, and the ice on the far side began to crack and crumble, falling away to leave the view completely clear; between the half-melted snow and the mud-filled crater, the grass of the courtyard was still a brilliant green.

“Just because I no longer believe in the dream, does not mean I cannot care about the people.” She slowly reached her hand out, closing it around Sagume’s. “Thank you for coming, Sagume.”

Sagume felt that she should speak.

“The Earth is full of unfamiliar sights.”

Eirin smiled, ever so slightly. 

**Author's Note:**

> It just wouldn't be me if I didn't wait right up until the deadline to post, would it.


End file.
